2 Kings 17:24-41
Today's Passage: 2 Kings 17:24-41
Yesterday, we witnessed a hugely pivotal moment in the biblical story—the Northern Kingdom of Israel was officially sacked and its inhabitants exiled. This moment is one more example in the biblical story where the invisible line of God’s judgement had been crossed and the season of grace ended in judgment. God used the war-machine of Assyria as his divine agent to accomplish this purpose.
Tom Constable’s Notes on 2 Kings 17 provide a very clear list of the sins of Israel of which they never repented, despite the many warnings of the prophets.
Our passage today marks a sort of ‘phase 2’ of the ancient vassal-state maneuver. Phase 1, when a fighting force conquered a new land, was commonly to round up all of the highest and noblest people and deport them home to begin assimilation into their new culture. This had the added benefit of removing potential rabble rousers and the most important and influential people were exported. Phase 2 was to import a new noble-class into the vacuum created in phase 1. That’s what we read about today as Assyria imported folks from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim.
Interestingly, the Lord used lions to bring punishment to the Land when his name went un-worshipped. Once some of the people returned to worshipping Yahweh, it seems he relented. However, verse 41 made an ominous pronouncement that seemed to hold until the time of Jesus— “So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images…so they do to this day.”
It’s this amalgamation of religious belief that caused such animosity between the Jews and Samaritans. It also shows the exceeding compassion of Christ that he traveled through Samaria in the early part of his ministry (see John 4).
2 Kings 17 should warn us that sin has consequences. Thankfully, however, as much as the world may seek to turn us away from the Lord and praising his Holy Name, the grace, mercy, and compassion of Christ reaches into that confusion and chaos to bring hope, healing and ultimately, restoration.
Written By: Tyler Short
Yesterday, we witnessed a hugely pivotal moment in the biblical story—the Northern Kingdom of Israel was officially sacked and its inhabitants exiled. This moment is one more example in the biblical story where the invisible line of God’s judgement had been crossed and the season of grace ended in judgment. God used the war-machine of Assyria as his divine agent to accomplish this purpose.
Tom Constable’s Notes on 2 Kings 17 provide a very clear list of the sins of Israel of which they never repented, despite the many warnings of the prophets.
(1) They feared other gods (v. 7; cf. Exod. 20:3; Judg. 6:10).
(2) They adopted Canaanite customs (v. 8; cf. Lev. 18:3; Deut. 18:9).
(3) They adopted customs condemned by the Mosaic Law (v. 8; cf. 16:3; 17:19).
(4) They practiced secret sins (v. 9).
(5) They built pagan high places (v. 9; cf. Deut. 12:2-7, 13-14).
(6) They made many sacred pillars and Asherim (v. 10; cf. Exod. 34:12-14).
(7) They burned incense to other gods (v. 11).
(8) They did evil things that provoked Yahweh (v. 11).
(9) They served idols (v. 12; cf. Exod. 20:4).
(10) They refused to heed God’s warnings (vv. 13-14).
(11) They became obstinate (v. 14; cf. Exod. 32:9; 33:3).
(12) They rejected God’s statutes (v. 15).
(13) They rejected God’s covenant (v. 15; cf. Exod. 24:6-8; Deut. 29:25).
(14) They pursued vanity (v. 15; cf. Deut. 32:21).
(15) They became vain (v. 15).
(16) They followed foreign nations (v. 15; cf. Deut. 12:30-31).
(17) They forsook Yahweh’s commandments (v. 16).
(18) They made molten calves (v. 16; cf. Exod. 20:4).
(19) They made an Asherah (v. 16; cf. Exod. 20:4).
(20) They worshipped the stars (v. 16; cf. Deut. 4:15, 19; Amos 5:26).
(21) They served Baal (v. 16).
(22) They practiced child sacrifice (v. 17; cf. Lev. 18:21; Deut. 12:31).
(23) They practiced witchcraft (v. 17; cf. Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:10-12).
(24) They sold themselves to do evil (v. 17; cf. 21:20).
Though God allowed Judah to remain, she was not innocent (v. 19).
The cult of Jeroboam was a major source of Israel’s apostasy (vv. 21-22)
(NETBible.org)
Our passage today marks a sort of ‘phase 2’ of the ancient vassal-state maneuver. Phase 1, when a fighting force conquered a new land, was commonly to round up all of the highest and noblest people and deport them home to begin assimilation into their new culture. This had the added benefit of removing potential rabble rousers and the most important and influential people were exported. Phase 2 was to import a new noble-class into the vacuum created in phase 1. That’s what we read about today as Assyria imported folks from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim.
Interestingly, the Lord used lions to bring punishment to the Land when his name went un-worshipped. Once some of the people returned to worshipping Yahweh, it seems he relented. However, verse 41 made an ominous pronouncement that seemed to hold until the time of Jesus— “So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images…so they do to this day.”
It’s this amalgamation of religious belief that caused such animosity between the Jews and Samaritans. It also shows the exceeding compassion of Christ that he traveled through Samaria in the early part of his ministry (see John 4).
2 Kings 17 should warn us that sin has consequences. Thankfully, however, as much as the world may seek to turn us away from the Lord and praising his Holy Name, the grace, mercy, and compassion of Christ reaches into that confusion and chaos to bring hope, healing and ultimately, restoration.
Written By: Tyler Short
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